Thursday, November 17, 2011

We are almost at the end of our second year of this Bee, and it's been sew much fun! Getting to "know" quilters a little better by sewing with them is great. I'm glad I started this Bee in the first place, and glad I committed to the second year!

However, as is my nature, I've overcommitted myself for 2012 and need to focus my efforts on the leading Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild, and another project I am working on outside of my "day job".

I'm happy to hand the reigns over to anyone who is willing to head up One Block Over 2012, turn the blog over to you--and I know some of the quilters this year would stick around next year. So, any of our readers/followers, if you're interested leave a comment and I'll get in touch with you. If not, the blog will stay up so we can post finished quilts we make from the blocks we received this year (heck, I still need to finish mine from 2010!!)

Thanks to everyone for sewing with me/us and to all who follow and comment!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

.Doris can now complete her Love in the Mist quilt, if she hasn't already filled in my block spot yet! This one is heading up to Iowa as I write. Trimming out the half-square triangles to perfect 2.5" blocks was the most difficult part for me, but, otherwise, the block moved along pretty easily. Until editing the photo just now, I really couldn't see the center star while so close up to the work. Under the lights and cropped to photo presentation, though, I am always amazed to find I can actually put together such a pretty piece after all the drama I feel getting to the final point! Your quilt will be gorgeous, Doris.

OK here is the second block. As requested no Civil war reproductions, no batiks or novelties. Which by the way is pretty much my entire fabric stash. The last sides sewn on look funny in the photo because I have the block on a closet door not my design wall.

Luckily I won a give away of scraps from Victoria (Bumble Beans) which came in handy. I had orginally planned to make a liberated wedding ring with them.

I will not be sending anything out for December. That should give everyone time to get caught up and decide if they will be back next year. I will not be coming back next year.

Picked my mail up on the way off to retreat this weekend, and there was Carla's package (GREAT timing!) so the first thing I did once I got set up at retreat was make these two cute blocks... love the quilt idea, adore the birdie print!!!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Too bad that I procrastinated so long, because I took a nasty spill on my stairs 10 days ago that resulted in a broken hand. UGH!SOOOOOOOOOOOO...........working with one good (right--yea!) hand and one not-so-good-left hand........

plus a perfectly good left elbow to hold down my rulers, I goterdone! Since i was on such a roll and loving it so, I went ahead and made one more for good measure.....

Only after I was finished did I re-read the directions about using the Kona solid that was included! Argh! If the yellow background on the second block doesn't work for you, Megan, maybe you can use it on the back somehow.

Sorry about that...guess the fall affected my brain too! I will include the blocks in the envelope with my November bird fabric, Megan. Can't wait to see your finished quilt!

Since
I am such a wild bird lover and love Alexander Henry's Bird Song
print, I thought I would ask my quilty friends to flock together in
combining the two for my month of November. Hopefully, this will be
an easy and low stress project for this busy month.

What
I have in mind is for you to use the two bird squares that you find
in your envelope and combine them with scraps from your personal
stash to create two 12.5 inch (12 in. finished) log cabin type
blocks. You will also find two strips of Kona PFD cotton to use in
one of the rings on each.

In
creating your blocks, you might find these hints helpful:

*I'm
looking for more of an overall “picture frame” effect than I am
the typical shaded log cabin block. See my samples on the OBO Blog
to see what I mean. Please, use only 90 degree angles, not 'WONKY'.

*Use
the PFD Kona in one of the rings. You can trim it narrower if you
want.

*The
center bird print can be trimmed down if you want...there is no magic
in the size square that you are sent.

*Use
as many fabrics as you want to make the block with as many rings as
you want. Please have the outer ring be a color though, and not the
PFD. Be sure the outer ring is wide enough for my 1/4in. seam.

*It
worked well for me to make the blocks a bit larger and then square up
to the 12.5in. size.

*I
would prefer that you not use batiks, children's prints or civil war
repros. in making the blocks. Use any colors that you see in any of
the birds, flowers etc. Solids are fine, but throw in a print as
well.

*Here
are a couple of tutorials that might be used as jumping off points..